Numerous devices have been disclosed in the prior art for maintaining broken bone segments of the upper leg in a fixed, healing orientation. The most common type of device is the well-known plaster cast. Various semi-rigid braces have also been disclosed in the prior art for holding broken bone segments in a proper healing orientation.
Due to the constant deforming forces acting on the fragments of a fractured femur, there is a tendency for the upper bone fragment to move to a valgus or outward orientation and for the lower bone fragment to move to a varus or inward orientation. A rigid plaster cast assures that no deforming forces move the bone segments in a broken femur. However, flexible or semi-flexible braces can allow some such movement.